Father of triplets diagnosed with motor neurone disease wants to talk about it

Kent Lipman is about to turn 47 but he’s not banking making it to half a century.

That’s because last November Kent, the father of seven year old triplets, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

“There is no cure for MND so I don’t know how long I have left to live,’’ he says.

“It could be two months, two years or hopefully a lot more years,’’ he says.

Either way one thing he definitely wants to do is help others affected by MND  by talking about what happened to him.

That starts next Wednesday, August 24 at an awareness function being organised with his childhood friend Steve Wisbey.

The “Wiz’’ is of course almost a household name in Macarthur land due to his charity work, especially for Macarthur Disability.

MC extraordinaire Wisbey’s most recent venture was to open Upstairs@Freds, a hip first floor wine bar in Argyle Street, Camden, which will be the venue for the August 24 MND awareness evening.

Long story short, young Steve and young Kent grew up together at Bexley many moons ago, before going their separate ways when they were older.

Funnily, their parents stayed in touch with each other, so there was a bit of indirect contact between the two childhood friends.

What brought their paths together again a few months ago was – what else these days – Facebook.

“Steve and I used to have birthdays together when we were kids, so we thought, why not do it again,’’ says Kent.

Special events are Steve Wisbey’s specialty, so what started out as a joint birthday party is now an awareness night for MND with the grand title of The Ice Bucket Challenge at Upstairs@Freds.

The highlight will be Kent telling his MND story, while Steve promises to be first in line to have ice poured all over him.

Steve says the wheelchair lift will be working, making Upstairs@Freds fully accessible on the night.

“It’s Camden’s biggest birthday party for MND awareness,’’ he says.

And while Steve’s contribution will include a bucket of ice poured on his head, Kent says he is thinking about a bucket list.

“There’s one or two things I’d like to do, including driving on Route 66 in the USA and stopping on all the diners along the way,’’ says Kent.

“But really the only bucket list I am thinking about is for the triplets,’’ he says.

“I definitely want to take them to Disneyland.’’

He says there was a bit of shock and denial when he was first diagnosed with MND.

“But you learn to live with it,’’ said.

If you’d like to attend the function on Wednesday, August 24, call Steve Wisbey on 0429 122 557.